Day 61 – Winding Down



Friday, October 22, 2010
Miles To Date: 
8 648

Our last full day in the USA (not counting time spent flying over tomorrow night), began with a lie in after three full days of amusement parks. Once we were up we headed into the city for the last time.

The first place we visited was the Grove/Farmers Market shopping area. The Grove is a relatively new modern mall, while the Farmer’s Market is a more traditional market which has been around since the 1920s. We had a browse around both, though neither of us bought anything. The market was similar to the indoor market we visited in Philadelphia, and it had lots of little stalls and shops selling fresh produce. Connecting the Market with the Grove is an old fashioned double-decker tram, which was interesting to see.

When we were ready to leave the sun had finally come out after seven days of overcast and rainy weather. In order to make the most of it we drove straight to Santa Monica to see the famous pier. It was possible to drive right out onto it, so we parked in the pier’s carpark and had a walk around the nearby area. The pier is similar to those in the United Kingdom, and comes complete with a small fairground and amusement arcades. An interesting fact is that the pier marks the Western terminus of the famous Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. As a result there were several gift shops specialising in memorabilia associated with the road.

After a walk down to the beach we headed back to West Hills in enough time to miss rush hour. Our next stop was the local Westfield mall near where the cousins live. We went with Lindsey and we all managed to make a purchase! The mall itself is apparently one of the largest in the region and it seemed comparable to the Mall of America. Once we were done we drove north to a restaurant near Thousand Oaks, where we were met by Jan, Randy and Maxine. The restaurant was a make-your-own type burger place, and we all found the meals to be delicious!

Later, we got back to the house and Lindsey made us all more cookies (which were again delicious). We also relaxed and watched a film with more home-made popcorn. Tomorrow we are getting all packed up and spending some last time with everyone before our flight in the evening!

Photo of the day: Santa Monica Beach with the sun finally shining!